Furnace for a rooftop unit

ABSTRACT

A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a furnace having a primary heat exchanger and a secondary heat exchanger, where the primary heat exchanger and the secondary heat exchanger form a heat exchange relationship between an airflow and an exhaust gas, and where the primary heat exchanger is positioned upstream of the secondary heat exchanger, a burner configured to generate the exhaust gas, a sensor configured to monitor an ambient temperature, and a control system configured to receive feedback from the sensor, compare the feedback to a threshold, operate the furnace in a first mode when the ambient temperature exceeds the threshold, and operate the furnace in a second mode when the ambient temperature is at or below the threshold, where the furnace operates above a condensation temperature when in the second mode, such that the exhaust gas does not condense when operating in the second mode.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application benefits from the priority of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/369,560, entitled “Method of Utilizing a Furnace on aRooftop Unit,” filed Aug. 1, 2016, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to environmental controlsystems, and more particularly, to a furnace for environmental controlsystems.

Environmental control systems are utilized in residential, commercial,and industrial environments to control environmental properties, such astemperature and humidity, for occupants of the respective environments.The environmental control system may control the environmentalproperties through control of an airflow delivered to the environment.For example, a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systemroutes the airflow through a furnace having a heat exchanger prior todelivery to the environment. The heat exchanger transfers thermal energyfrom a fluid flowing through the heat exchanger to the airflow toincrease a temperature of the airflow. In some cases, transferring thethermal energy from the fluid in the heat exchanger may result incondensation of the fluid in the heat exchanger. The condensed fluid isultimately removed from the HVAC system via a drainage system.Unfortunately, when the ambient temperature is at or below 0° Celsius(C) (32° Fahrenheit (F)), the condensed fluid may solidify (e.g.,freeze) within the drainage system, which may result in blockage of thedrainage system, thereby affecting operation of the HVAC system.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC)system includes a furnace having a primary heat exchanger and asecondary heat exchanger, where the primary heat exchanger and thesecondary heat exchanger are configured to form a heat exchangerelationship between an airflow through the furnace and an exhaust gasflowing through the primary heat exchanger and the secondary heatexchanger, and where the primary heat exchanger is positioned upstreamof the secondary heat exchanger with respect to a flow of the exhaustgas, a burner of the furnace configured to generate the exhaust gas anddirect the exhaust gas to the primary heat exchanger, a sensorconfigured to monitor an ambient temperature, and a control systemconfigured to receive feedback from the sensor indicative of the ambienttemperature, compare the feedback indicative of the ambient temperatureto a temperature threshold, operate the furnace in a first operatingmode when the ambient temperature exceeds the temperature threshold, andoperate the furnace in a second operating mode when the ambienttemperature is at or below the temperature threshold, where the furnaceoperates above a condensation temperature of the exhaust gas when in thesecond operating mode, such that the exhaust gas does not condense whenthe furnace operates in the second operating mode.

In another embodiment, one or more tangible, non-transitorymachine-readable media having processor-executable instructions toreceive feedback from a first sensor indicative of ambient temperature,compare the feedback indicative of the ambient temperature to atemperature threshold, operate a furnace of a heating, ventilating, andair conditioning (HVAC) system in a first operating mode when theambient temperature exceeds the temperature threshold, and operate thefurnace of the HVAC system in a second operating mode when the ambienttemperature is at or below the temperature threshold, where the furnaceoperates above a condensation temperature of an exhaust gas when in thesecond operating mode, such that the exhaust gas does not condense whenthe furnace operates in the second operating mode.

In an another embodiment, a method includes receiving feedback from asensor indicative of ambient temperature, comparing the feedbackindicative of the ambient temperature to a temperature threshold,operating a furnace of a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning(HVAC) system in a first operating mode when the ambient temperatureexceeds the temperature threshold, and operating the furnace of the HVACsystem in a second operating mode when the ambient temperature is at orbelow the temperature threshold, where the furnace operates above acondensation temperature of an exhaust gas when in the second operatingmode, such that the exhaust gas does not condense when the furnaceoperates in the second operating mode.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic of an environmental control for buildingenvironmental management that may employ one or more HVAC units, inaccordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the environmentalcontrol system of FIG. 1, in accordance with an aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic of a residential heating and cooling system, inaccordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic of an embodiment of a vapor compression systemthat can be used in any of the systems of FIGS. 1-3, in accordance withan aspect the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic of an embodiment of a rooftop unit having afurnace that may operate in a high efficiency mode and a reducedefficiency mode, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the furnace of FIG. 5,in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a process for operatingthe furnace of FIGS. 5 and 6, in accordance with an aspect of thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward a rooftop orother outdoor unit that includes a furnace of a heating, ventilating,and air conditioning (HVAC) system. As will be appreciated, condensategenerated in the furnace of a rooftop or outdoor unit may freeze whenoutdoor temperatures are at or below approximately 0° C. (32° F.). Forexample, existing rooftop or outdoor units for HVAC systems include aheat exchanger that transfers heat from a fluid (e.g., an exhaust gasfrom a burner) flowing through tubes of the heat exchanger to an airflowin the furnace external to the tubes of the heat exchanger. As the fluidin the heat exchanger transfers thermal energy to the airflow, atemperature of the fluid is reduced. In some cases, the temperature ofthe fluid may decrease to a condensation point (e.g., a condensationtemperature), such that a portion of the fluid condenses and forms acondensate that ultimately exits the furnace through a drain. As usedherein, the condensation point and/or the condensation temperature is atemperature at which the fluid in the heat exchanger (e.g., exhaust gas)begins to condense from a vapor into a liquid (e.g., form liquiddroplets). In other words, the condensation point and/or thecondensation temperature is a temperature at which the fluid in the heatexchanger (e.g., exhaust gas) is substantially all vapor (e.g., above90% by weight, above 95% by weight, or above 99% by weight vapor).

It is now recognized that including a secondary heat exchanger (e.g., afin coil or other heat exchange device) in addition to a primary heatexchanger (e.g., an existing heat exchanger) may enhance an efficiencyof the furnace. For example, a secondary heat exchanger may bepositioned downstream of the primary heat exchanger with respect to aflow of the fluid from the burner. In some embodiments, the secondaryheat exchanger includes relatively small tubes having fins, whichincreases an amount of heat transfer between the fluid and the airflow.As such, the furnace may achieve an efficiency of 90% or greater. Asused herein, the efficiency of the furnace refers to an amount ofthermal energy (e.g., heat) absorbed by the airflow through the furnacecompared to an amount of thermal energy (e.g., heat) input to thefurnace and used to increase the temperature of the fluid (e.g., basedon an amount of fuel input to the burner). While increasing the amountof heat transfer between the fluid and the airflow may increase theefficiency of the furnace, increasing the amount of heat transferbetween the fluid and the airflow may also increase an amount ofcondensate formed in the primary heat exchanger and/or the secondaryheat exchanger (e.g., the temperature of fluid in the heat exchangerdecreases in proportion to the amount of thermal energy transferred tothe airflow).

To reduce and/or prevent condensation of the fluid in the heat exchanger(e.g., the primary heat exchanger and/or the secondary heat exchanger),a temperature of the fluid in the heat exchanger may be increased byincreasing a fuel input to the burner of the furnace. For example, aflow rate of fuel, such as natural gas, and/or a flow rate of oxidant,such as air, to the burner may be increased to increase a temperature ofthe flame in the burner. As such, the temperature of the fluid flowingthrough the heat exchanger increases. In some cases, the temperature ofthe fluid may be sufficiently high that condensate does not form in theheat exchanger despite the transfer of thermal energy from the fluid tothe airflow. Operation of the furnace at such increased temperatures mayresult in a reduced furnace efficiency, such as between 80% and 90%. Abalance of fuel input to the burner and efficiency of the furnace may beadjusted, such that a total heat output of the furnace is substantiallythe same in either mode of operation (e.g., when ambient temperaturesare at or below near freezing and when ambient temperatures are abovenear-freezing).

When the furnace produces condensate in the heat exchanger, thecondensate is collected and drained using a drainage system of therooftop or outdoor unit. The drainage system includes drainage pipesthat direct the condensate to a drain for disposal of the condensate(e.g., to a sewer and/or another suitable destination). Portions of thedrainage system are exposed to ambient conditions surrounding therooftop or outdoor unit. When ambient conditions reach near-freezingtemperatures (e.g., approximately 0° C.), the condensate may solidify,thereby blocking a flow of the condensate through the drainage pipe.Blockage of the drainage system may affect the overall operation of theHVAC system. Therefore, embodiments of the present disclosure aredirected to a rooftop or outdoor unit having a furnace that is operatedat a high efficiency mode when ambient temperatures are above athreshold temperature (e.g., above 2° C., above 3° C., above 4° C., orabove 5° C.) and operated at a reduced efficiency mode when ambienttemperatures are at or below the threshold temperature. Accordingly, thedisclosed system may operate without, or substantially without,producing condensate when the ambient temperature is near freezing(e.g., by operating above a condensation temperature of the fluid in theheat exchanger), but maintain relatively high efficiency when theambient temperature is above freezing. Thus, the disclosed embodimentsof the rooftop or outdoor unit may mitigate problems associated withfreezing of condensate in drainage pipes and other drainage systemcomponents.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a heating, ventilating,and air conditioning (HVAC) system for building environmental managementthat may employ one or more HVAC units. In the illustrated embodiment, abuilding 10 is air conditioned by a system that includes an HVAC unit12. The building 10 may be a commercial structure or a residentialstructure. As shown, the HVAC unit 12 is disposed on the roof of thebuilding 10; however, the HVAC unit 12 may be located in other equipmentrooms or areas adjacent the building 10. The HVAC unit 12 may be asingle package unit containing other equipment, such as a blower,integrated air handler, and/or auxiliary heating unit. In otherembodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may be part of a split HVAC system, suchas the system shown in FIG. 3, which includes an outdoor HVAC unit 58and an indoor HVAC unit 56.

The HVAC unit 12 is an air cooled device that implements a refrigerationcycle to provide conditioned air to the building 10. Specifically, theHVAC unit 12 may include one or more heat exchangers across which an airflow is passed to condition the air flow before the air flow is suppliedto the building. In the illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit 12 is arooftop unit (RTU) that conditions a supply air stream, such asenvironmental air and/or a return air flow from the building 10. Afterthe HVAC unit 12 conditions the air, the air is supplied to the building10 via ductwork 14 extending throughout the building 10 from the HVACunit 12. For example, the ductwork 14 may extend to various individualfloors or other sections of the building 10. In certain embodiments, theHVAC unit 12 may be a reheat unit or a heat pump that provides bothheating and cooling to the building with one refrigeration circuitconfigured to operate in different modes. In other embodiments, the HVACunit 12 may include one or more refrigeration circuits for cooling anair stream and a furnace for heating the air stream.

A control device 16, one type of which may be a thermostat, may be usedto designate the temperature of the conditioned air. The control device16 also may be used to control the flow of air through the ductwork 14.For example, the control device 16 may be used to regulate operation ofone or more components of the HVAC unit 12 or other components, such asdampers and fans, within the building 10 that may control flow of airthrough and/or from the ductwork 14. In some embodiments, other devicesmay be included in the system, such as pressure and/or temperaturetransducers or switches that sense the temperatures and pressures of thesupply air, return air, and so forth. Moreover, the control device 16may include computer systems that are integrated with or separate fromother building control or monitoring systems, and even systems that areremote from the building 10.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the HVAC unit 12. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit 12 is a single package unitthat may include one or more independent refrigeration circuits andcomponents that are tested, charged, wired, piped, and ready forinstallation. The HVAC unit 12 may provide a variety of heating and/orcooling functions, such as cooling only, heating only, cooling withelectric heat, cooling with dehumidification, cooling with gas heat, orcooling with a heat pump. As described above, the HVAC unit 12 maydirectly cool and/or heat an air stream provided to the building 10 tocondition a space in the building 10.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2, a cabinet 24 enclosesthe HVAC unit 12 and provides structural support and protection to theinternal components from environmental and other contaminants. In someembodiments, the cabinet 24 may be constructed of galvanized steel andinsulated with aluminum foil faced insulation. Rails 26 may be joined tothe bottom perimeter of the cabinet 24 and provide a foundation for theHVAC unit 12. In certain embodiments, the rails 26 may provide accessfor a forklift and/or overhead rigging to facilitate installation and/orremoval of the HVAC unit 12. In some embodiments, the rails 26 may fitinto “curbs” on the roof to enable the HVAC unit 12 to provide air tothe ductwork 14 from the bottom of the HVAC unit 12 while blockingelements such as rain from leaking into the building 10.

The HVAC unit 12 includes heat exchangers 28 and 30 in fluidcommunication with one or more refrigeration circuits. Tubes within theheat exchangers 28 and 30 may circulate refrigerant (for example,R-410A, steam, or water) through the heat exchangers 28 and 30. Thetubes may be of various types, such as multichannel tubes, conventionalcopper or aluminum tubing, and so forth. Together, the heat exchangers28 and 30 may implement a thermal cycle in which the refrigerantundergoes phase changes and/or temperature changes as it flows throughthe heat exchangers 28 and 30 to produce heated and/or cooled air. Forexample, the heat exchanger 28 may function as a condenser where heat isreleased from the refrigerant to ambient air, and the heat exchanger 30may function as an evaporator where the refrigerant absorbs heat to coolan air stream. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may operate in aheat pump mode where the roles of the heat exchangers 28 and 30 may bereversed. That is, the heat exchanger 28 may function as an evaporatorand the heat exchanger 30 may function as a condenser. In furtherembodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may include a furnace for heating the airstream that is supplied to the building 10. While the illustratedembodiment of FIG. 2 shows the HVAC unit 12 having two of the heatexchangers 28 and 30, in other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may includeone heat exchanger or more than two heat exchangers.

The heat exchanger 30 is located within a compartment 31 that separatesthe heat exchanger 30 from the heat exchanger 28. Fans 32 draw air fromthe environment through the heat exchanger 28. Air may be heated and/orcooled as the air flows through the heat exchanger 28 before beingreleased back to the environment surrounding the rooftop unit 12. Ablower assembly 34, powered by a motor 36, draws air through the heatexchanger 30 to heat or cool the air. The heated or cooled air may bedirected to the building 10 by the ductwork 14, which may be connectedto the HVAC unit 12. Before flowing through the heat exchanger 30, theconditioned air flows through one or more filters 38 that may removeparticulates and contaminants from the air. In certain embodiments, thefilters 38 may be disposed on the air intake side of the heat exchanger30 to prevent contaminants from contacting the heat exchanger 30.

The HVAC unit 12 also may include other equipment for implementing thethermal cycle. Compressors 42 increase the pressure and temperature ofthe refrigerant before the refrigerant enters the heat exchanger 28. Thecompressors 42 may be any suitable type of compressors, such as scrollcompressors, rotary compressors, screw compressors, or reciprocatingcompressors. In some embodiments, the compressors 42 may include a pairof hermetic direct drive compressors arranged in a dual stageconfiguration 44. However, in other embodiments, any number of thecompressors 42 may be provided to achieve various stages of heatingand/or cooling. As may be appreciated, additional equipment and devicesmay be included in the HVAC unit 12, such as a molecular sieve type orsolid-core filter drier, a drain pan, a disconnect switch, aneconomizer, pressure switches, phase monitors, and humidity sensors,among other things.

The HVAC unit 12 may receive power through a terminal block 46. Forexample, a high voltage power source may be connected to the terminalblock 46 to power the equipment. The operation of the HVAC unit 12 maybe governed or regulated by a control board 48. The control board 48 mayinclude control circuitry connected to a thermostat, sensors, and alarms(one or more being referred to herein separately or collectively as thecontrol device 16). The control circuitry may be configured to controloperation of the equipment, provide alarms, and monitor safety switches.Wiring 49 may connect the control board 48 and the terminal block 46 tothe equipment of the HVAC unit 12.

FIG. 3 illustrates a residential heating and cooling system 50, also inaccordance with present techniques. The residential heating and coolingsystem 50 may provide heated and cooled air to a residential structure,as well as provide outside air for ventilation and provide improvedindoor air quality (IAQ) through devices such as ultraviolet lights andair filters. In the illustrated embodiment, the residential heating andcooling system 50 is a split HVAC system. In general, a residence 52conditioned by a split HVAC system may include refrigerant conduits 54that operatively couple the indoor unit 56 to the outdoor unit 58. Theindoor unit 56 may be positioned in a utility room, an attic, abasement, and so forth. The outdoor unit 58 is typically situatedadjacent to a side of residence 52 and is covered by a shroud to protectthe system components and to prevent leaves and other debris orcontaminants from entering the unit. The refrigerant conduits 54transfer refrigerant between the indoor unit 56 and the outdoor unit 58,typically transferring primarily liquid refrigerant in one direction andprimarily vaporized refrigerant in an opposite direction.

When the system shown in FIG. 3 is operating as an air conditioner, aheat exchanger 60 in the outdoor unit 58 serves as a condenser forre-condensing vaporized refrigerant flowing from the indoor unit 56 tothe outdoor unit 58 via one of the refrigerant conduits 54. In theseapplications, a heat exchanger 62 of the indoor unit functions as anevaporator. Specifically, the heat exchanger 62 receives liquidrefrigerant (which may be expanded by an expansion device, not shown)and evaporates the refrigerant before returning it to the outdoor unit58.

The outdoor unit 58 draws environmental air through the heat exchanger60 using a fan 64 and expels the air above the outdoor unit 58. Whenoperating as an air conditioner, the air is heated by the heat exchanger60 within the outdoor unit 58 and exits the unit at a temperature higherthan it entered. The indoor unit 56 includes a blower or fan 66 thatdirects air through or across the indoor heat exchanger 62, where theair is cooled when the system is operating in air conditioning mode.Thereafter, the air is passed through ductwork 68 that directs the airto the residence 52. The overall system operates to maintain a desiredtemperature as set by a system controller. When the temperature sensedinside the residence 52 is higher than the set point on the thermostat(plus a small amount), the residential heating and cooling system 50 maybecome operative to refrigerate additional air for circulation throughthe residence 52. When the temperature reaches the set point (minus asmall amount), the residential heating and cooling system 50 may stopthe refrigeration cycle temporarily.

The residential heating and cooling system 50 may also operate as a heatpump. When operating as a heat pump, the roles of heat exchangers 60 and62 are reversed. That is, the heat exchanger 60 of the outdoor unit 58will serve as an evaporator to evaporate refrigerant and thereby coolair entering the outdoor unit 58 as the air passes over the outdoor heatexchanger 60. The indoor heat exchanger 62 will receive a stream of airblown over it and will heat the air by condensing the refrigerant.

In some embodiments, the indoor unit 56 may include a furnace system 70.For example, the indoor unit 56 may include the furnace system 70 whenthe residential heating and cooling system 50 is not configured tooperate as a heat pump. The furnace system 70 may include a burnerassembly and heat exchanger, among other components, inside the indoorunit 56. Fuel is provided to the burner assembly of the furnace 70 whereit is mixed with air and combusted to form combustion products. Thecombustion products may pass through tubes or piping in a heat exchanger(that is, separate from heat exchanger 62), such that air directed bythe blower 66 passes over the tubes or pipes and extracts heat from thecombustion products. The heated air may then be routed from the furnacesystem 70 to the ductwork 68 for heating the residence 52.

FIG. 4 is an embodiment of a vapor compression system 72 that can beused in any of the systems described above. The vapor compression system72 may circulate a refrigerant through a circuit starting with acompressor 74. The circuit may also include a condenser 76, an expansionvalve(s) or device(s) 78, and an evaporator 80. The vapor compressionsystem 72 may further include a control panel 82 that has an analog todigital (A/D) converter 84, a microprocessor 86, a non-volatile memory88, and/or an interface board 90. The control panel 82 and itscomponents may function to regulate operation of the vapor compressionsystem 72 based on feedback from an operator, from sensors of the vaporcompression system 72 that detect operating conditions, and so forth.

In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 72 may use one or moreof a variable speed drive (VSDs) 92, a motor 94, the compressor 74, thecondenser 76, the expansion valve or device 78, and/or the evaporator80. The motor 94 may drive the compressor 74 and may be powered by thevariable speed drive (VSD) 92. The VSD 92 receives alternating current(AC) power having a particular fixed line voltage and fixed linefrequency from an AC power source, and provides power having a variablevoltage and frequency to the motor 94. In other embodiments, the motor94 may be powered directly from an AC or direct current (DC) powersource. The motor 94 may include any type of electric motor that can bepowered by a VSD or directly from an AC or DC power source, such as aswitched reluctance motor, an induction motor, an electronicallycommutated permanent magnet motor, or another suitable motor.

The compressor 74 compresses a refrigerant vapor and delivers the vaporto the condenser 76 through a discharge passage. In some embodiments,the compressor 74 may be a centrifugal compressor. The refrigerant vapordelivered by the compressor 74 to the condenser 76 may transfer heat toa fluid passing across the condenser 76, such as ambient orenvironmental air 96. The refrigerant vapor may condense to arefrigerant liquid in the condenser 76 as a result of thermal heattransfer with the environmental air 96. The liquid refrigerant from thecondenser 76 may flow through the expansion device 78 to the evaporator80.

The liquid refrigerant delivered to the evaporator 80 may absorb heatfrom another air stream, such as a supply air stream 98 provided to thebuilding 10 or the residence 52. For example, the supply air stream 98may include ambient or environmental air, return air from a building, ora combination of the two. The liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 80may undergo a phase change from the liquid refrigerant to a refrigerantvapor. In this manner, the evaporator 38 may reduce the temperature ofthe supply air stream 98 via thermal heat transfer with the refrigerant.Thereafter, the vapor refrigerant exits the evaporator 80 and returns tothe compressor 74 by a suction line to complete the cycle.

In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 72 may further includea reheat coil in addition to the evaporator 80. For example, the reheatcoil may be positioned downstream of the evaporator relative to thesupply air stream 98 and may reheat the supply air stream 98 when thesupply air stream 98 is overcooled to remove humidity from the supplyair stream 98 before the supply air stream 98 is directed to thebuilding 10 or the residence 52.

It should be appreciated that any of the features described herein maybe incorporated with the HVAC unit 12, the residential heating andcooling system 50, or other HVAC systems. Additionally, while thefeatures disclosed herein are described in the context of embodimentsthat directly heat and cool a supply air stream provided to a buildingor other load, embodiments of the present disclosure may be applicableto other HVAC systems as well. For example, the features describedherein may be applied to mechanical cooling systems, free coolingsystems, chiller systems, or other heat pump or refrigerationapplications.

As set forth above, present embodiments are directed to the HVAC unit 12having a furnace that can generate condensate during operation. In someembodiments, the HVAC unit 12 includes a furnace having a secondary heatexchanger that transfers additional heat from combustion products, suchas exhaust gas, to an airflow through the furnace to provide heat to thebuilding 10. The secondary heat exchanger improves the efficiency of thefurnace by increasing an amount of heat transfer between the combustionproducts and the airflow, which may result in condensation of a portionof the combustion products. As discussed in further detail below, thefurnace may be operated at a high efficiency mode (e.g., a first mode)and produce condensate when ambient temperatures are above freezing.When the ambient temperature reaches near-freezing (e.g., between 0° C.and 5° C.), the furnace may switch to a reduced efficiency mode (e.g., asecond mode) and produce insignificant amounts of condensate, such thatfreezing does not occur in a condensate drainage system of the furnace.When operating in the reduced efficiency mode, a flow rate of fueland/or a flow rate oxidant to a burner of the furnace may be increased,which may increase a temperature of the combustion products and enablethe furnace to operate above a condensation temperature of thecombustion products. The increased temperature of the combustionproducts may enable the combustion products to transfer thermal energyto the airflow through the furnace without reducing the temperature ofthe combustion products below the condensation temperature. Thus,production of condensate may be substantially avoided when the furnaceoperates in the reduced efficiency mode, which may reduce and/oreliminate freezing and blockage of the condensate drainage system.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a rooftop or outdoor unit100, which could be the HVAC unit 12 of FIG. 2, having a furnace 104 anda condensate drainage system 106 fluidly coupled to the furnace 104. Thefurnace 104 also includes a blower 108, a primary heat exchanger 110, asecondary heat exchanger 112, and a burner 116 that enable heating ofair 118 that is ultimately used to heat the building 10 (see, e.g., FIG.1). For example, in operation, the blower 108 draws the air 118 into thefurnace 104. The air 118 is heated by the primary heat exchanger 110 andthe secondary heat exchanger 112 within the furnace 104, and heated air120 is released from the furnace 104 into an air distribution system ofthe building 10 (see, e.g., FIG. 1). The burner 116 receives and burns afuel 124, such as natural gas, which generates a hot exhaust gas 126that is delivered to the primary heat exchanger 110 and the secondaryheat exchanger 112. The air 118 may pass over coils of the primary heatexchanger 110 and absorb thermal energy from the hot exhaust gas 126flowing through the coils of the primary heat exchanger 110.Accordingly, a temperature of the hot exhaust gas 126 is reduced and acooled hot exhaust gas 128 is directed from the primary heat exchanger110 to the secondary heat exchanger 112. Additionally, a temperature ofthe air 118 increases thereby creating a heated air stream 129 that isdirected from the primary heat exchanger 110 to the secondary heatexchanger 112. The heated air stream 129 then passes over coils of thesecondary heat exchanger 112, where the heated air stream 129 absorbsthermal energy from the cooled hot exhaust gas 128 flowing through thecoils of the secondary heat exchanger 112. A temperature of the heatedair stream 129 further increases to generate the heated air 120, whichis ultimately supplied to the air distribution system of the building 10(see, e.g., FIG. 1).

The secondary heat exchanger 112 improves an efficiency of the furnace104 by recovering additional heat from the cooled hot exhaust gas 128.In this way, the furnace 104 may operate at an efficiency of greaterthan 82%. That is, the furnace 104 recovers at least 82% of the thermalenergy from the hot exhaust gas 126. The cooled hot exhaust gas 128directed to the secondary heat exchanger 112 transfers thermal energy tothe heated air stream 129, thereby reducing a temperature of the cooledhot exhaust gas 128. In the secondary heat exchanger 112, the cooled hotexhaust gas 128 may at least partially condense as a result of thereduced temperature and form a condensate 130 and an exhaust gas 132. Insome embodiments, the exhaust gas 132 is released from the condensingfurnace 104 via a vent. Additionally, the condensate 130 may exit thefurnace 104 via the condensate drainage system 106.

As discussed above, the condensate drainage system 106 collects anddrains condensate 130 generated in the furnace 104 using drainage pipesthat feed the condensate 130 from the furnace 104 to a drain. Thedrainage pipes may be exposed to ambient temperatures, which may fallbelow 0° C. and cause the condensate 130 to solidify (e.g., freeze),thereby blocking removal of the condensate 130 from the furnace 104.Accordingly, the HVAC unit 12 includes a controller 142 that controlsoperation of the furnace 104 to substantially prevent formation ofcondensate 130 when ambient temperatures fall below a first temperaturethreshold and/or controls operation of the furnace 104 to substantiallyprevent freezing of the condensate 130 when a temperature of thecondensate 130 falls below a second threshold.

For example, the controller 142 may adjust flow control devices (e.g.,valves, pumps, blowers) to control fluid flow between different systemcomponents. The controller 142 may include a distributed control system(DCS) or any computer-based control system that is fully or partiallyautomated. For example, the controller 142 may be any device employing ageneral purpose or an application-specific processor 146 and memorycircuitry 148 storing instructions related to temperature and condensatecontrol. The memory circuitry 148 may store the first temperaturethreshold of ambient air, the second temperature threshold of thecondensate 130, and/or a pressure threshold of the condensate 130 in thecondensate drainage system 106. In addition, the memory circuitry 148may include instructions and algorithms for controlling the componentsof the HVAC unit 12 based on input signals 150 from one or more sensors151. For example, the rooftop or outdoor unit 100 may include sensors151 disposed external to the cabinet 24 of the HVAC unit 12, whichmonitor the ambient temperature. Additionally, the rooftop or outdoorunit 100 may include sensors 151 within the condensate drainage system106 that monitor the temperature of any condensate 130 present in thecondensate drainage system 106. The instructions may include activatingand/or adjusting one or more components of the HVAC unit 12 based on thefeedback from the one or more sensors 151 (e.g., feedback indicative ofambient air temperature, the condensate temperature, a condensatepressure, and/or levels of the condensate 130 within the condensatedrainage system 106). For example, the controller 142 may transmit anoutput signal 152 to components of the furnace 104, such as the blower108, a valve controlling a flow rate of the fuel 124, and/or the burner116, to control operation of the furnace 104. As discussed in detailbelow, the controller 142 may increase a flow of the fuel 124 to theburner 116 when feedback from the sensor 151 monitoring ambienttemperature indicates that ambient temperature is below a threshold(e.g., between 0° C. and 5° C.). The processor 146 may include one ormore processing devices, and the memory circuitry 148 may include one ormore tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable media collectivelystoring instructions executable by the processor 146 to perform themethods and control actions described herein.

The machine-readable media can be any available media other than signalsthat can be accessed by the processor 146 or by any general purpose orspecial purpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way ofexample, such machine-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EPROM,EEPROM, CD-ROM, or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage orother magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used tocarry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executableinstructions or data structures and which can be accessed by theprocessor 146 or by any general purpose or special purpose computer orother machine with a processor. When information is transferred orprovided over a network or another communications connection (eitherhardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired or wireless) to amachine, the machine properly views the connection as a machine-readablemedium. Thus, any such connection is properly termed a machine-readablemedium. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope ofmachine-readable media. Machine-executable instructions includes, forexample, instructions and data which cause the processor 146 or anygeneral purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purposeprocessing machine to perform a certain function or group of functions,such as measuring the temperature of the condensate 130 and the pressurewithin the condensate drainage system 106.

As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure are directedto the operating the furnace 104 in a high efficiency mode when ambienttemperatures exceed freezing and operating the furnace 104 in a reducedefficiency mode when ambient temperatures are near-freezing. To achievethe high efficiency mode, such as an efficiency above 82%, the furnace104 may include the primary heat exchanger 110 and the secondary heatexchanger 112. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of thefurnace 104 having the primary heat exchanger 110 and the secondary heatexchanger 112. As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 6, theprimary heat exchanger 110 and the secondary heat exchanger 112 aredisposed in an airflow path 170 that is isolated from a burnercompartment 172 by a barrier 174. The barrier 174 may guide the air 118to flow over coils of the primary heat exchanger 110 and the secondaryheat exchanger 112 without flowing over and/or through other componentsof the furnace 104. As such, the barrier 174 may enhance an amount ofthermal energy transfer between the air 118 and the hot exhaust gas 126by blocking the air 118 from bypassing the primary heat exchanger 110and the secondary heat exchanger 112.

As discussed above, the air 118 may be directed along the airflow path170 by the blower 108. In some cases, including the secondary heatexchanger 112 in the furnace 104 may increase a resistance and/or apressure drop of the air 118 flowing through the furnace 104 because ofthe additional surface area over which the air 118 flows. As such, apower input to the blower 108 may increase to account for the increasedresistance. In certain embodiments, a capacity of the blower 108 isincreased to address the additional resistance and/or pressure dropexperienced by the air 118 flowing through the furnace 104. As anon-limiting example, existing furnaces 104 have a blower that is 12inches (in.) by 9 in. The furnace 104 of the present disclosure mayinclude a blower 108 that is a 12 in. by 12 in. direct drive blower.Increasing the capacity of the blower 108 may enable the air 118 to flowthrough the furnace 104 with substantially the same flow rate as afurnace not having the secondary heat exchanger 112, while minimizing anamount of additional power input to the blower 108.

In some embodiments, the primary heat exchanger 110 may include tubes176 that extend through the barrier 174 and into the burner 116, suchthat the tubes 176 receive the hot exhaust gas 126 from the burner 116.As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 6, the primary heatexchanger 110 includes four of the tubes 176. Each of the tubes 176 maybe rated to transfer a certain amount of energy between the exhaust gas126 and the air 118. For example, each tube 176 may be rated between 0.5kilowatts (kW) and 40 kW, between 1 kW and 30 kW, or between 2 kW and 15kW. In other embodiments, each tube 176 may be rated between 10,000British Thermal Units per hour (Btuh) and 50,000 Btuh. In otherembodiments, the primary heat exchanger 110 may include less than fourtubes 176 or more than four tubes 176. In still further embodiments, theprimary heat exchanger 110 includes any suitable number of the tubes 176that enable sufficient thermal energy transfer to the air 118, whilereducing a pressure drop of the exhaust gas 126 through the primary heatexchanger 110. As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 6, thetubes 176 of the primary heat exchanger 110 extend from the barrier 174along an axis 178 and ultimately curve back toward the barrier 174 atbends 180 of the tubes 176. Further, the tubes 176 are supported by asupport bracket 182, which may be coupled to one or more walls of thecabinet 24 of the HVAC unit 12, for example.

In any case, the tubes 176 of the primary heat exchanger 110 direct thecooled hot exhaust gas 128 into the secondary heat exchanger 112 at afirst collector 184 (e.g., a first header). The cooled hot exhaust gas128 accumulates in the first collector 184 and is directed into tubes186 of the secondary heat exchanger 112 (e.g., a fin coil). Thesecondary heat exchanger 112 may be rated to transfer a certain amountof energy between the cooled hot exhaust gas 128 and the air 118. Forexample, the secondary heat exchanger 112 may be rated between 5kilowatts (kW) and 150 kW, between 10 kW and 130 kW, or between 14 kWand 120 kW. In other embodiments, the secondary heat exchanger 112 maybe rated between 50,000 British Thermal Units per hour (Btuh) and400,000 Btuh. As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 6, thetubes 186 of the secondary heat exchanger 112 have a diameter 188 thatis less than a diameter 190 of the tubes 176. In some embodiments, thediameter 188 of the tubes 186 is between one tenth and one half, betweenone tenth and one fourth, or between one twentieth and one tenth of thediameter 190 of the tubes 176. Directing the cooled hot exhaust gas 128into the tubes 186 having the diameter 188 less than the diameter 190 ofthe tubes 176 increases a surface area for the air 118 to contact, andthus, enables the air 118 to absorb additional thermal energy from thecooled hot exhaust gas 128 via the tubes 186. The secondary heatexchanger 112 thus increases an efficiency of the furnace 104 byincreasing an amount of thermal energy transfer between the air 118 andthe cooled hot exhaust gas 128. As discussed above, the furnace 104 mayachieve an efficiency above 82% as a result of the secondary heatexchanger 112.

The increased thermal energy transfer achieved by the secondary heatexchanger 112 enables a length 192 of the tubes 176 from the barrier 174to the bends 180 to be reduced, which reduces an overall size orfootprint of the furnace 104. For example, the length 192 of the tubes176 may be reduced between 0.5 inches (in.) and 24 in., between 1 in.and 15 in., or between 5 in and 10 in. when compared to furnaces 104that do not include the secondary heat exchanger 112.

The cooled hot exhaust gas 128 is directed through the secondary heatexchanger 112 toward a second collector 194 that couples the tubes 186to an exhaust outlet 196 and/or the condensate drainage system 106. Theexhaust gas 132 and/or the condensate 130 exiting the secondary heatexchanger 112 may accumulate in the second collector 194, such that theexhaust gas 132 exits the furnace 104 through the exhaust outlet 196 andthe condensate 130 is drained from the furnace 104 through thecondensate drainage system 106.

As discussed above, producing the condensate 130 when ambienttemperatures are near freezing (e.g., between 0° C. and 5° C.) may causethe condensate 130 to freeze in the condensate drainage system 106 andblock a flow of the condensate 130 from the second collector 194 out ofthe furnace 104. Accordingly, upon detection of ambient temperaturesreaching a threshold temperature (e.g., 1° C., 2° C., 3° C., 4° C., or5° C.), the controller 142 may adjust a flow of the fuel 124 and/or anoxidant (e.g., air) into the burner 116 to increase a fuel input to theburner 116 (e.g., to enable the furnace to operate above a condensationtemperature of the hot exhaust gas 126 and/or the cooled hot exhaust gas128). In some embodiments, the controller 142 may adjust the flow rateof the fuel 124 and the oxidant into the burner 116 to increase the fuelinput, while maintaining a desired emission standard, such as less than8.6 weight percent carbon dioxide in the exhaust gas 132. Increasing thefuel input to the burner 116, in turn, increases a temperature of thehot exhaust gas 126. The controller 142 may be configured to increasethe temperature of the hot exhaust gas 126, such that the cooled hotexhaust gas 128 does not condense in the secondary heat exchanger 112 toproduce the condensate 130. In other words, the temperature of the hotexhaust gas 126 may be increased to a sufficient temperature thatsufficiently heats the air 118 without reducing the temperature of thecooled hot exhaust gas 128 below a condensation temperature. Whenoperating at such conditions, the efficiency of the furnace 104 may bebetween 80% and 90%. Accordingly, the efficiency of the furnace 104 isreduced when the ambient temperature reaches near-freezing, but thefurnace 104 still provides the heated air 120 at substantially (e.g.,within 5% of or within 10% of) the same temperature as the heated air120 produced when ambient temperatures are above freezing. A balance offuel input to the burner and efficiency of the furnace may be adjusted,such that a total heat output of the furnace is substantially the samein either mode of operation (e.g., when ambient temperatures are at orbelow near freezing and when ambient temperatures are abovenear-freezing).

In some embodiments, the controller 142 is configured to adjust the flowrate of the fuel 124 and/or the oxidant into the burner 116 when atemperature of the condensate 130 falls below a second thresholdtemperature even when the ambient temperature is above a first thresholdtemperature (e.g., 1° C., 2° C., 3° C., 4° C., or 5° C.). For example,the sensor 151 configured to monitor the temperature of the condensate130 in the condensate drainage system 106 may be utilized to verify anaccuracy of the sensor 151 monitoring the ambient temperature. When thetemperature of the condensate 130 falls below the second threshold, thecondensate 130 may be near a freezing point. The controller 142 may thenswitch the furnace into the reduced efficiency mode to reduce and/oreliminate production of the condensate 130 to avoid freezing within thecondensate drainage system 106.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a process 220 that may beutilized to operate the furnace 104 in one of two operating modes basedon ambient temperature (or a temperature of the condensate 130). Forexample, at block 222, the controller 142 receives feedback indicativeof ambient temperature from the sensor 151. The sensor 151 is disposedexternal to the cabinet 24 of the HVAC unit 12 and monitors atemperature of ambient air. Accordingly, at block 224, the controller142 compares the feedback from the sensor 151 to a temperaturethreshold. In some embodiments, the temperature threshold may be atemperature slightly above a freezing point of water. For example, thetemperature threshold may be between 0° C. and 5° C., between 0.5° C.and 3° C., or between 1° C. and 2° C.

The controller 142 determines whether the feedback from the sensor 151indicates that the ambient temperature is below the temperaturethreshold at block 226. When the feedback from the sensor 151 indicatesthat the ambient temperature is below the temperature threshold, thecontroller 142 adjusts the fuel flow rate and/or the oxidant flow rateinto the burner 116 to increase the flame temperature of the burner 116,as shown in block 228. As discussed above, increasing the flametemperature of the burner 116 increases a temperature of the hot exhaustgas 126 and the cooled hot exhaust gas 128 that flow through the primaryheat exchanger 110 and the secondary heat exchanger 112, respectively.As such, a temperature of the cooled hot exhaust gas 128 may bemaintained above a condensation temperature despite the thermal energythat is transferred from the cooled hot exhaust gas 128 to the air 118in the secondary heat exchanger 112. The furnace 104 thus operates in areduced efficiency mode (e.g., an efficiency between 80% and 90%), butthe condensate 130 is not produced, such that freezing does not occur inthe condensate drainage system 106.

At block 230, the controller 142 maintains operation of, or operates,the furnace 104 in a high efficiency mode (e.g., an efficiency above90%) when the feedback from the sensor 151 indicates that the ambienttemperature is above the threshold temperature. The furnace 104 may thusproduce the condensate 130 without the condensate freezing in thecondensate drainage system 106 and operate at a relatively highefficiency (e.g., above 90%). As discussed above, the controller 142 mayalso receive feedback from the sensor 151 monitoring the temperature ofthe condensate 130. When the temperature of the condensate 130 fallsbelow a second threshold (e.g., 1° C., 2° C., 3° C., 4° C., or 5° C.),the controller 142 may adjust the flow rate of the fuel and/or the flowrate of the oxidant to the burner 116 to operate the furnace 104 in thereduced efficiency mode to avoid freezing of the condensate 130 in thecondensate drainage system 106.

As set forth above, the furnace 104 of the present disclosure mayprovide one or more technical effects useful in the operation of HVACsystems to prevent condensate from freezing in a condensate drainagesystem. For example, embodiments of the present approach may operate thefurnace 104 in a high efficiency mode when ambient temperatures areabove a threshold temperature (e.g., a temperature above a freezingpoint of water). Additionally, operation of the furnace 104 may switchto a reduced efficiency mode when the ambient temperature falls belowthe threshold temperature, such that the furnace 104 does not producecondensate. Operation of the furnace 104 during both the high efficiencymode and the reduced efficiency mode may provide substantially the sameamount of heating to an airflow through the furnace 104, such that heatinput to a building remains constant between the two operating modes.Further, the furnace 104 includes a secondary heat exchanger that mayenhance an efficiency of the furnace 104 by increasing thermal energytransfer between exhaust gases and the airflow through the furnace 104.The technical effects and technical problems in the specification areexamples and are not limiting. It should be noted that the embodimentsdescribed in the specification may have other technical effects and cansolve other technical problems.

While only certain features and embodiments have been illustrated anddescribed, many modifications and changes may occur to those skilled inthe art (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes andproportions of the various elements, values of parameters (e.g.,temperatures, pressures, etc.), mounting arrangements, use of materials,colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novelteachings and advantages of the subject matter recited in the claims.The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied orre-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. It is, therefore, tobe understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all suchmodifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of thedisclosure. Furthermore, in an effort to provide a concise descriptionof the exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual implementationmay not have been described (i.e., those unrelated to the presentlycontemplated best mode, or those unrelated to enablement). It should beappreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation,as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementationspecific decisions may be made. Such a development effort might becomplex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routineundertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those ofordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure, without undueexperimentation.

1. A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system,comprising: a furnace comprising a primary heat exchanger and asecondary heat exchanger, wherein the primary heat exchanger and thesecondary heat exchanger are configured to form a heat exchangerelationship between an airflow through the furnace and an exhaust gasflowing through the primary heat exchanger and the secondary heatexchanger, and wherein the primary heat exchanger is positioned upstreamof the secondary heat exchanger with respect to a flow of the exhaustgas; a burner of the furnace configured to generate the exhaust gas anddirect the exhaust gas to the primary heat exchanger; a sensorconfigured to monitor an ambient temperature; and a control systemconfigured to receive feedback from the sensor indicative of the ambienttemperature, compare the feedback indicative of the ambient temperatureto a temperature threshold, operate the furnace in a first operatingmode when the ambient temperature exceeds the temperature threshold, andoperate the furnace in a second operating mode when the ambienttemperature is at or below the temperature threshold, wherein thefurnace operates above a condensation temperature of the exhaust gaswhen in the second operating mode, such that the exhaust gas does notcondense when the furnace operates in the second operating mode.
 2. TheHVAC system of claim 1, comprising a first collector of the furnacepositioned between an outlet of the primary heat exchanger and an inletof the secondary heat exchanger, wherein the first collector isconfigured to direct the exhaust gas exiting the primary heat exchangerinto tubes of the secondary heat exchanger.
 3. The HVAC system of claim2, comprising a second collector of the furnace positioned at an outletof the secondary heat exchanger, wherein the second collector isconfigured to direct the exhaust gas exiting the secondary heatexchanger to an exhaust outlet when the furnace operates in both thefirst operating mode and the second operating mode, and wherein thesecond collector is configured to direct condensate to a condensatedrainage system when the furnace operates in the first operating mode.4. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the primary heat exchangercomprises a first plurality of tubes configured to flow the exhaust gas,and wherein the secondary heat exchanger comprises a second plurality oftubes configured to flow the exhaust gas.
 5. The HVAC system of claim 4,wherein each tube of the first plurality of tubes comprises a firstdiameter that is greater than a second diameter of each tube of thesecond plurality of tubes.
 6. The HVAC system of claim 5, wherein thesecond diameter is between one tenth and one fourth of the firstdiameter.
 7. The HVAC system of claim 4, wherein the first plurality oftubes are supported by a support beam that is coupled to a cabinet ofthe HVAC system.
 8. The HVAC system of claim 4, wherein each tube of thefirst plurality of tubes comprises a rating between 10,000 BritishThermal Units per hour (Btuh) and 50,000 Btuh.
 9. The HVAC system ofclaim 8, wherein the secondary heat exchanger comprises a rating between50,000 Btuh and 400,000 Btuh.
 10. The HVAC system of claim 9, whereinthe secondary heat exchanger comprises a fin coil heat exchanger. 11.The HVAC system of claim 1, comprising a barrier disposed in the furnacebetween the burner and the primary heat exchanger and the secondary heatexchanger, wherein the barrier defines a flow path of the airflowthrough the furnace.
 12. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the furnaceoperates at an efficiency of greater than 90% when operating in thefirst operating mode.
 13. The HVAC system of claim 12, wherein thefurnace operates at an efficiency between 80% and 90% when operating inthe second operating mode.
 14. The HVAC system of claim 13, wherein thefurnace is configured to generate substantially the same heat output inthe first operating mode and the second operating mode.
 15. The HVACsystem of claim 1, comprising an additional sensor disposed in acondensate drainage system of the furnace, wherein the additional sensoris configured to monitor a temperature of condensate produced when thefurnace operates in the first operating mode.
 16. One or more tangible,non-transitory machine-readable media comprising processor-executableinstructions to: receive feedback from a first sensor indicative ofambient temperature; compare the feedback indicative of the ambienttemperature to a temperature threshold; operate a furnace of a heating,ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in a first operatingmode when the ambient temperature exceeds the temperature threshold; andoperate the furnace of the HVAC system in a second operating mode whenthe ambient temperature is at or below the temperature threshold,wherein the furnace operates above a condensation temperature of anexhaust gas when in the second operating mode, such that the exhaust gasdoes not condense when the furnace operates in the second operatingmode.
 17. The one or more tangible, non-transitory machine-readablemedia of claim 16, wherein the processor-executable instructions receivefeedback from a second sensor configured to monitor an additionaltemperature of condensate produced by the furnace when operating in thefirst operating mode.
 18. The one or more tangible, non-transitorymachine-readable media of claim 17, wherein the processor-executableinstructions switch from the first operating mode to the secondoperating mode when the feedback from the second sensor indicates thatthe temperature of condensate falls below an additional temperaturethreshold.
 19. The one or more tangible, non-transitory machine-readablemedia of claim 16, wherein the processor-executable instructionsincrease a flow rate of fuel to a burner of the furnace, increase a flowrate of oxidant to the burner of the furnace, or both, to switch fromthe first operating mode to the second operating mode.
 20. The one ormore tangible, non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 16,wherein the temperature threshold is between 0° C. and 5° C.
 21. Amethod of operating a furnace of a heating, ventilating, and aircondition (HVAC) system, comprising: receiving feedback from a sensorindicative of ambient temperature; comparing the feedback indicative ofthe ambient temperature to a temperature threshold; operating a furnaceof a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in a firstoperating mode when the ambient temperature exceeds the temperaturethreshold; and operating the furnace of the HVAC system in a secondoperating mode when the ambient temperature is at or below thetemperature threshold, wherein the furnace operates above a condensationtemperature of an exhaust gas when in the second operating mode, suchthat the exhaust gas does not condense when the furnace operates in thesecond operating mode.
 22. The method of claim 21, wherein operating thefurnace of the HVAC system in the first operating mode comprisesoperating the furnace at an efficiency greater than 90%, and wherein thefurnace operates below the condensation temperature of the exhaust gasto generate condensate when operating in the first operating mode. 23.The method of claim 21, wherein operating the furnace of the HVAC systemin the second operating mode comprises operating the furnace at anefficiency between 80% and 90%.
 24. The method of claim 21, comprisingincreasing a flow rate of fuel to a burner of the furnace and/orincreasing a flow rate of oxidant to the burner of the furnace when theambient temperature is at or below the temperature threshold to operatethe furnace in the second operating mode.
 25. The method of claim 21,wherein operating the furnace of the HVAC system in the first operatingmode and operating the furnace of the HVAC system in the secondoperating mode each provide heated air to a building at substantiallythe same temperature.